Masahiko Utsuro is professor emeritus at Kyoto University and currently continues his research activities at the Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Osaka University, Japan. He spent most of his career working in the Research Reactor Institute at Kyoto University, and gave lectures and graduate courses in neutron science for more than 20 years both at Kyoto and Osaka University. He devoted most of his professional life to neutron optics research as the head professor for neutron science at the Research Reactor Institute. Professor Utsuro has authored over 200 scientific publications and has also contributed to book publications. He is a member of the Physical Society of Japan and of the Japanese Society for Neutron Science.

Vladimir Ignatovich is a senior scientist at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research JINR in Dubna, Russia. Having obtained his academic degrees from Moscow State University, he spent most of his career working in the Laboratory of Neutron Physics at JINR. Dr. Ignatovich has authored over 150 scientific publications and a book on ultracold neutrons. Visits and invited talks have taken him to international institutions like NIST, CALTECH and National Laboratories (USA), to many laboratories in Europe, and to the Research Reactor Institute of Kyoto University, where he spent a whole year. He is a member of the Russian Physical Society and of the Neutron Scattering Society of America.